Memori Dorobou
by FEIGN
Summary: Found and recruited by Aizen Sousuke, Keita is a Shinigami that is an ally of the Arrancar. She is entrusted with Aizen's most prized possession - the hogyoku. OC-centered, Winter War, no pairings as of yet.
1. I: Retrieval

Greetings, everyone! If you're reading this, I'm going to assume you're interested in my new fanfiction called Memori Dorobou. I will warn you before I begin: there is only one non-canon pairing in this fic and that would be... Well, I think it'll be obvious by the time I'm done. I _can_ tell you, however, my OC (Keita) will not be falling in love in this fic. I have other plans for her. This is her story, full of action and drama.

So I can assure you there will be no OC pairings in this fic. ^^

Anyway, please be patient with me. I have about fifteen or so chapters finished and I will be updating once, maybe twice, a week. As a result, I'll run out within a couple months. So bear with me while I'm writing... This fanfiction has been a work in progress since November 2011.

So enjoy chapter one ~

I do not own Bleach. If I did own Bleach, Ichigo would have actually made a move on Rukia by now. But Kubo Tite owns Bleach. I own nothing except my OC Keita, her family, and the plot idea.

* * *

Memori Dorobou

~0~

Chapter One

~0~

"Shintate Keita."

The former gobantai taichou sat in his throne in Las Noches, his chin in his hand as he looked at the dimensional window. It showed a girl. A girl no older than sixteen stood in a furnished room, her expensive kimono flowing to the floor. She had long black hair and dark green eyes that stared unhappily out of her own window. She also had her chin in her palm, her expression one of utmost boredom.

He smiled to himself as he watched the girl, the kind of smile when a person knows he has won. He sat back, still watching the girl closely. Yes, she was the one. He knew everything about her. He knew her family, where she lived, what she yearned for most in life. He also knew she was strong. She had the strength he needed and the strength he'd been seeking for almost nine years.

Another man walked into the throne room, his permanent smile in place. "What'cha doin', Aizen-taichou?"

Aizen looked up at his comrade and smiled. "I've found it."

"Ya mean the thing you were lookin' for?"

"Yes," he said, his gaze drawn back to the window. "I will bring her here myself." As he spoke, he slowly stood and closed the window with a snap of his fingers.

"Do ya want me ta look after Las Noches while yer gone?" asked Ichimaru, his expression never changing.

"Yes," he said again. "Gather the Espada when I return. I must introduce her to them immediately."

"Why's that?"

Aizen walked away from his throne and easily opened a garganta with a slash of his hand. He looked back at Ichimaru briefly. "She will be our greatest ally."

He stepped through the other dimension, the opening snapping shut behind him. He left Ichimaru looked mildly puzzled and curious. He shrugged, then, and turned to leave the room. Whatever Aizen had in mind, it was likely to be something brilliant. Ichimaru just hoped…this plan wouldn't be like the others…

~0~

"Where…am I?" I blinked up at the stars glittering in the night sky. They were very pretty; I had never seen something like this before. If my head didn't hurt so bad, I might've lay there all night. As it was, my forehead throbbed furiously. I raised my hand and touched my hot temples. I wasn't bleeding, but a large bruise seemed to have formed on my head.

Slowly, I sat up. I winced as blades of grass brushed my left leg. Carefully, I twisted it around so I could see it. A long scratch had appeared on the back of my leg. It was bleeding profusely and it seemed to have been that way for a while, since it was an alarming shade of purple right now.

"Ow," I said, surprised. I tried to remember if I'd ever been hurt so badly before. What had happened?

And then, suddenly, there was nothing. Right as I tried to remember something, it vanished like mist in the sun. It was like there were memories before, but they escaped my reach. My heart pounded as I tried to remember something – anything.

"What's…" I touched my forehead again. "What's my name?"

Terror swept through me as I realized I had forgotten my own name. The pain in my leg wasn't enough to distract me from the horror of knowing that. What had happened to me? Where were my memories? Why did I have nothing in my head?

Suddenly, I heard a screech far below. I stood up more quickly than I should have, causing my hurt leg to buckle beneath me. Trying not to cry out in pain, I clenched my teeth and moved forward. Slowly, but surely, I approached the place where the grass ended.

I was standing on a cliff. Just below my feet was a street loaded with cars and a few people walking around. I bit my lip as I stared at the cars. I knew what they were and I knew their names…but why did I feel like it was something I had never seen before?

"I need a hospital," I muttered, turning to leave the cliff and the scary thoughts it had brought about. I tried not to think about the fact I had no recollection of who I was, what I was doing here, and how I had lost my memories. I just limped on, thinking determinedly about the hospital.

But I'd never been to a hospital before, had I? I'd only heard of a hospital, never seen one. As I tried to grasp the reason why, it slipped away from me and I scowled. This was really scaring me…

"Maybe I'm dreaming," I said hopefully.

No, that was stupid. If I was dreaming, I'd know who I was.

"May I help you, young lady?"

I tripped and nearly face-planted, but a pair of hands caught both my arms. Easily, they steadied me once more. Stiffly, I looked up at the man who had helped me.

He was tall, with brown eyes and brown hair that was slicked back. He wore an expensive-looking white trench-coat and white pants. Just by the way he stood, I could tell he was rich and used to getting what he wanted.

"You're hurt," he observed, gesturing at my hurt leg.

I nodded warily.

"May I help you?" he repeated.

I hesitated, eying him carefully. I didn't know this man. Hell, I didn't even know myself. It wasn't safe for me to throw myself into a stranger's arms just because I was injured. I would fare better in a hospital. So I shook my head.

He looked mildly surprised. "Is that so? Do you have a place to stay? May I drive you there?"

Okay, he was being overly helpful. I immediately felt suspicious. _Don't trust this guy. He's weird._ Why would he want to help some girl who doesn't even know who she is?

But he didn't know that. And no need to tell him. "I dunno," I mumbled, not meeting his eyes.

He smiled. "If you have no place to stay, I would be more than happy to bring you to my home. I have many extra rooms."

_Of course you do. You're filthy rich._

"I don't know you," I stated.

"Forgive me," he said with a small smile. "I am Aizen Sousuke. I will tell you more about myself if you allow me to help you. I'm afraid we really can't waste time talking with the severity of your wound."

I sighed. He really did seem like a nice man… Maybe just this once, I would let a stranger help me. It wasn't like I had a choice. I had no idea where the nearest hospital or…what a hospital looked like. My head throbbed again.

"Okay," I said simply.

He offered me his hand. "If you take my hand, I will bring you to my home."

I snapped my fingers. "Like that?"

He smiled. "Just like that."

Could normal people do that? Just teleport out of nowhere? My head hurt too badly to think about it. Gingerly, I placed my hand in his and we vanished at once.

The sensation wasn't unpleasant; it was actually kind of cool. It was like wind whipping through my hair – once – twice – until we were suddenly at the front door of a beautiful white mansion. The doors were already open, revealing a spiral staircase in the middle surrounded by the rest of the stunning house.

Aizen Sousuke smiled, apparently seeing the wonder in my expression. Still holding my hand – gently, so I could probably easily escape if I wanted to – he led me through the doorway and into the house. The doors closed of their own accord behind us, but I was too distracted to find that unusual.

"You live here?" I breathed.

"No," he answered. "I live somewhere else, in another world."

I frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He led me into the living room, which had several expensive couches and rugs. A fire flicked on in the fireplace. He released my hand and allowed me to sit in one of the armchairs.

"Just a moment," he said. "Will you elevate your leg for me?"

I rested my foot on the coffee table and stared as fresh blood dripped onto the white carpet. He followed my eyes.

"Don't worry about that. It doesn't matter." He lifted his hand and let it hover over my wound. A moment later, both the scratch and his palm glowed green. My leg suddenly became numb and I stared as the scratch first scabbed over, then turned into a bright red mark.

"No stitches, huh?" I said, swallowing uneasily.

He shook his head. "That is unnecessary. How does your leg feel?"

I bent it and stretched it. My muscles hurt a little, but it didn't come close to the pain I'd felt before. "Perfect."

He stood and sat in the chair across from me. "May I ask your name?"

I winced at the pain in my head. I wished he could wipe away that pain, too. "I don't…remember," I said sheepishly.

His eyes wandered to the bruise on my head. "You have amnesia," he said sympathetically.

"I guess so." The words were simple, but they sent a fresh wave of terror through me. My head felt so empty!

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not before I woke up on that cliff."

"Ah. I see." He rested his chin in his hand and watched me. "I will answer your question now."

"What question?" I asked, puzzled.

"About where I live." He smiled slightly. "My home is a palace in Hueco Mundo. Have you ever heard of it?"

"It sounds Spanish."

"It is Spanish," he informed me. "I means 'empty world'. In other words," he went on, watching me closely, "I live in the world of Hollows."

The word 'Hollow' sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "What's a Hollow?"

"They are heartless monsters with white masks. However, I have been able to transform them into more human-like beings. They are called Arrancar. They are a blend of Hollow and Shinigami."

"Shinigami?" I echoed. "You mean 'death god'?"

"Exactly," he said, smiling once more. "You don't seem surprised by any of this."

"I'm not. To be honest, I think I might have heard about this stuff before."

"I see. Now," he continued, "ten of these Arrancar are called the Espada. They number zero to nine and they are the strongest of the Arrancar. These ten people you will meet if you join me."

It was so sudden, I didn't even notice at first. I stared at him, uncomprehending. "Join…you?"

He didn't reply right away. He reached into his coat pocket and drew out a silver chain. I watched, mesmerized, as I saw the charm. It was a small sphere, glowing softly, and swirling with colors. Aizen wasn't looking at the sphere, but at me, apparently gauging my reaction.

"This," he said, "is a very precious possession of mine. I need someone to keep it safe for me. That person will be you."

He held out the necklace and I cupped my hands. Slowly, he let the sphere touch my palm. It was startlingly warm. But it was a nice kind of warm. I stared down at it, then looked cautiously up at Aizen.

"You want me to have this?" I asked, confused.

He shook his head. "Not have it, but keep it safe. There's a difference."

"But…" I trailed off, my eyes drawn back to the beautiful charm. "But there's no way I can protect it."

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I chose you. You can protect it." He held out his hand. "But if you won't join me, I won't let you touch it."

What did this even mean? He was making no sense. The charm was so pretty and attractive…I realized I didn't want to let it go. It brought me a great amount of pleasure just holding it.

"Why do you want me to join you? What use will I be to you?" I asked. I frowned. "I hardly even know the first thing about you."

"You will be our ally," he responded. "In return, you can keep that necklace and I will give you powers of your own."

Something flickered inside of me, a longing for the powers he'd spoken of. It was more than a longing – it was a need.

"Okay," I said quietly. I looked back up at Aizen and said it more loudly. "Okay, I'll join you."

~0~

Aizen put on the necklace for her and told her to never take it off. The girl had nodded, her green eyes clear. Before she could ask any more questions (for he had no patience to answer them), he stood up and asked her if she was tired. After a moment's hesitation, she had replied in the affirmative. He had led her to one of the empty rooms in the mansion, then left so she could sleep in peace.

He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his plan was going exactly as he had imagined. He had found the girl and she had been the perfect fit. He had been able to briefly activate her powers before she had left her home, causing her memory to be wiped. Her powers were very interesting indeed, and he was eager to bring her to her full realization as soon as possible. And her reaction to the necklace – more specifically, the charm attached to it – had certainly been something to wonder about.

There was much, much power in that charm. Many years ago, Aizen had found it difficult to adapt to it. But she had adapted to it immediately, to the point where she didn't even notice its power.

He sat back in his chair and watched the fire with a slight smile on his face. The charm was, in fact, the hogyoku. To be more specific, it was two hogyokus fused together. He knew that, over time, the hogyoku would attach itself to the girl's soul. He suspected it would take about a month. After that, it would be impossible to separate the hogyoku from the girl.

"Of course," he murmured, "it's always possible it could have negative effects on her."

The hogyoku was meant to blend the boundary between Shinigami and Hollows. After a long period of time, it was possible she might take on Hollow characteristics. But that was no concern of his at the moment. For now, he had what he wanted.

"So how is she, Aizen-taichou?"

Aizen sat up as he heard Ichimaru approach him. "Gin, I did not hear you enter."

The former sanbantai taichou smirked. "Ya must be pretty distracted if ya didn' hear me comin'."

"She is quite interesting," Aizen replied. He glanced briefly at the other man. "I will bring her to Las Noches in the morning. Make sure Ulquiorra is informed."

Ichimaru cocked an eyebrow. "Ulquiorra? Why him?"

"He will receive his first fracción," he replied dismissively.

Ichimaru looked at Aizen for a moment longer before he turned back into his garganta. With a small _thmp_ it closed again.

In the other room, the girl slept fitfully.

~0~

_The man's lips formed a word, a name. I shouted out that I couldn't hear him and his eyes brimmed with sadness. He repeated the name, but his lips were blurred over. I couldn't read them. He reached toward me, crying out what I knew was my name. But I couldn't hear him and, slowly, his face blew away on a silent wind._

_Then there was a boy. A boy maybe my age, with impossibly bright orange hair and wide, panicked brown eyes. He was shouting out, too, screaming. Again, I knew he was calling my name. But I didn't recognize him and I didn't hear my name._

_Footsteps. Loud ones that echoed around a silent, white hallway. I followed the footsteps, which I found belonged to a man in front of me. All I could see was his black hair and his back. Then he too vanished._

* * *

Please review! I want some feedback. Any mistakes I made (grammar-wise or anything like that)? Please inform me in a review!

~Feign


	2. II: White

Thanks to my one reviewer. I was hardly expecting even that, since this is an OC fic. But thank you anyway! I am very grateful! This is chapter two of Memori Dorobou, and this is the part where many characters are introduced. Well, you already know all of them, but it's Keita's first time meeting them.

Anyway, enjoy!

I do not own Bleach. If I did own Bleach, Ulquiorra would be alive and in a relationship with Orihime. I own nothing except my OC Keita, her family, and the plot idea.

* * *

Memori Dorobou

~0~

Chapter Two

~0~

"Did you sleep well?"

I shrugged as I entered the living room. The bed had been soft as a cloud and the sheets had been like silk, but dreams had bothered me throughout the night. Now, awake, I recalled none of them. Almost without thinking, I touched the charm at the base of my throat. It was warm under my fingertips.

He smiled as he watched me. "Are you ready to go to my real home?"

"In Hueco Mundo," I said. I looked up. "Right?"

"Your memory serves you well," he said. He looked away from me, then slashed his hand through the air. An invisible zipped opened, yawning forth into darkness. He stepped through and a white path immediately appeared before him, winding away into the black dimension.

"Follow me," he said, walking forward until he was completely inside the dimension. I obeyed and hopped into the darkness without a second thought. The opening close behind us and now the place was only lit by the shining path Aizen had somehow created.

"It will take a while till we arrive," said Aizen. He gestured for me to walk beside him. "Why don't I tell you more about myself?"

"Okay," I said, moving to his side.

"Are you familiar with Soul Society?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Basically, it is what humans call 'Heaven'. All souls reside there." He stared straight ahead. "Over a hundred years ago, I lived there. I was part of the army called the Gotei Thirteen. Of the thirteen divisions, I was the vice-captain of the fifth. My captain was Hirako Shinji. Most captains and vice-captains are quite close, for they have to learn to work together to lead their division." He paused. "Hirako-taichou and I were suspicious of each other. He didn't trust me. I, in return, did not trust him.

"Around the same time, a man named Urahara Kisuke was appointed captain of the twelfth division. He was intelligent. No, more than intelligent. He was a genius. But his intellect led him to cause a most frightful disaster. He Hollowfied my captain and various others of the Gotei Thirteen. He was then exiled for his crimes.

"I became captain of my division and I wanted to find out how Urahara had enabled the Hollowfication. Years later, I discovered it." He reached out and touched the sphere at my neck. "The hogyoku. Something that could blend the boundary between Hollow and Shinigami. For many years, I worked tirelessly to replicate it. In the end, I was successful. My plan was to return Hirako-taichou and the others back to normal, but Urahara had hidden them in the living world. I had no choice but to find his hogyoku. I researched for many years, trying to find where he could have possibly hidden it. Then he threw it right underneath my feet. He'd used a girl to hide the hogyoku. And then the very same girl was sentenced to death for the crime of giving away her powers. I retrieved the hogyoku and fused the two together."

He smirked. "For some reason, Soul Society thought my actions were cruel and unusual. They exiled me, along with the two other captains I worked with – Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname."

I frowned. "Soul Society sounds…really strict."

He murmured agreement. "Yes, they have many rules that must be followed. The consequences are somewhat extreme at times." He lifted his hand. "Look. Do you see light up ahead?"

I squinted my eyes and found I could see a spot of light growing bigger. "Yes."

"We're here," he said, as the spot grew rapidly bigger. A second later, it revealed a white desert studded with little growth. But the most magnificent thing in sight was the huge white palace.

Our feet made contact with the sand and the garganta closed behind us. I took a deep breath. "The air…feels different."

"It is rich in spirit particles," he informed me. "Come. Gin has brought together the Espada in time for our arrival."

I suddenly remembered the Espada he'd spoken of. The ten strongest Arrancar that Aizen had hand-picked himself. I felt a little wary at the prospect of seeing them. What would they think of me – a weak, powerless girl?

It didn't take long to walk the short distance to the huge palace doors and enter through them. They closed silently behind us and I shivered nervously. Aizen led me through the white hallway, his footsteps echoing all around. At the end of the hall was another big door. I was sure this was the meeting room. Where I was supposed to meet the Espada….

He halted in front of it and looked back to smile at me. "Are you afraid?"

"N-no!" I lied.

He chuckled lightly and the door opened. It revealed a dark room, lit only by a chandelier in the middle. In the room, there was a long table. And at the table, twelve people sat. Behind some of them stood others.

Aizen walked into the room and sat comfortably in the biggest chair, the one at the very end. He gestured at the smaller chair beside him, which was placed next to a pale-haired man with narrowed eyes and a grin. I took my seat and looked nervously around the table.

Everyone was staring at me. I looked down at once, observing how my fingers twisted uneasily on my lap.

"Who's she?" asked one of them, a man.

I didn't look up and instead listened to Aizen's reply.

"She is our new ally."

"Nani?" said the same man, outraged. "She's a fuckin' human!"

"I realize that, Nnoitra," said Aizen, sounding somewhat amused. "Still, she will join us." I felt his hand touch my shoulder. "Look up."

I obeyed, staring around at all the faced turned toward me. A few were hostile, some were indifferent, and still others looked interested.

"This is Keita," said Aizen, his gaze flicking to each and every one of the Espada. "She is of utmost importance to our plans. As you can see…" He carefully lifted up the necklace, displaying the charm to everyone. "…she holds the hogyoku."

There was a shocked sort of silence. I looked at Aizen in surprise as he called me 'Keita'. He had named me. I felt a warmth at my fingertips. It was nice having a name, at long last. Then one of the people that stood around the table, but not sitting at it, spoke up.

"Aizen-sama, you're going to let a human girl take care of the hogyoku?" she asked, her voice shaking. I couldn't tell if it was from shock or outrage.

"Loly, I am confident in Keita's abilities," said Aizen calmly. "There is no need to concern yourself with this matter."

"But, Aizen-sama – !" she protested.

"I will say it only once, Loly." Aizen turned to her. I could see the terror on her face as he said his next words. "Be silent."

Even from where I was, I could see the sweat jump in her skin. She did not speak again.

Aizen stood up, gesturing for me to do the same. I could see the jealousy in Loly's eyes as he touched the hogyoku at my neck. Briefly, I felt a powerful burst of energy.

"This is what I will do," he said, looking at me but speaking to everyone. "I will give you Shinigami powers, Keita. This way, you will be able to fight for and protect the hogyoku if you are needed to do so. Though I doubt that." He smiled. "Not many could kill a little girl."

Loly looked like she wanted to challenge that statement, along with a blue-haired man and another man with stringy black hair.

Aizen touched the hogyoku again, this time causing me to gasp at the sudden energy that pulsed from it. After a few seconds, I felt the power lessen considerably and my body grew heavier with the weight of something. At the same time, something bumped against my mind. Then that disappeared, too.

I hadn't realized it was so bright until the light faded. I blinked several times, spots dancing before my eyes.

"That was…fast," I said, looking down at what I was wearing. It was a black kimono, with a white one underneath. A white cloth was tied around my waist, serving as a belt. Slid through the belt was a sheathed katana.

"It may take a while to become accustomed to your powers – " Aizen began.

But I was already unsheathing my sword, examining it with interest. For some reason I couldn't recall, this area really interested me. The area of fighting, of sword combat. Even though I'd never held a sword in my life (it felt that way, anyway), it seemed as if I was already attached to it. In a different way than what most people might think.

It was like the katana was my new best friend.

"Keita." Aizen regained my attention and I looked up.

I put away my sword as he spoke, "Keita, I will introduce you to my allies. The man next to you is Ichimaru Gin."

I glanced at him and he smiled widely. I smiled uncertainly back.

"The man on my other side is Tousen Kaname," he went on, gesturing at the black man.

"The Primera Espada is there – Coyote Starrk. Then it's Barragan Luisenbarn and his fracción …" He looked at a simple-looking man first, then a very old one that looked at me with a certain amount of disrespect. Behind him were several other people.

"What are fracción?" I asked.

"They are the people that serve under one of the Espada," Aizen told me.

He moved on to point out Tier Harribel and her fraction – three pretty women that all stared balefully at me. Next was an expressionless man with black hair and green tear tracks on his face. His name was Ulquiorra Schiffer and he had no fracción.

Then there was Nnoitra Gigla – the Espada who had first spoken out against me. He had one fracción named Tesla. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez seemed to be similar to Nnoitra; at least, he shared the same opinion as him. Behind him stood a few others.

After those two were the last three – Zommari Rureaux, Szayel Aporro Granz, and Aaroniero Arruruerie. They seemed stranger than the previous six, less human. Szayel seemed to be the resident mad scientist.

"And finally, we have Yammy Llargo," said Aizen. "In his normal, un-released state, he is the Tenth Espada. However, when he releases his zanpakutou, he becomes the strongest Espada – the Zero Espada."

"What does released mean?" I asked sheepishly.

"It is the first stage of release for your zanpakutou. Shinigami call it 'shikai'. It takes on a different form and has special abilities that are developed directly from the manifestation of your soul. Your zanpakutou is the spirit of your sword which lies within you."

I suddenly understood the poking in my mind. That had been my zanpakutou entering my soul.

"Shinigami have a second stage of release called 'bankai'. That is when you conquer your own zanpakutou and gain full power of its abilities." He looked at the Espada. "But Arrancar have only one stage of release. It is called 'Resurrección'. In that state of being, they revert to their previous form before they became an Arrancar."

"Okay," I nodded. Now I was curious to see everyone's Resurrección. I wondered if any of them would show it to me.

"Keita, there is one last thing," said Aizen. "Because you are now our ally, you will be put to work like the rest of us. You will be Ulquiorra's fracciòn. He will tell you what to do and where to go. You are to always follow him unless instructed otherwise by himself or me. You will – "

"Aizen-sama!"

Aizen looked up, his eyes flicking to the girls behind Harribel. One of her fracciòn – a young woman with mismatched eyes and dark hair – was glaring at me in outrage.

"Forgive me for speaking out," she said, her voice quivering. She spoke to both Harribel and Aizen as she said that. "Sorry, Aizen-sama, but I thought you were joking at first. You're really going to let a Shinigami into our midst? Let her be a fracciòn? Let her carry your sacred hogyoku like a necklace? At least change her into a Hollow if you allow her into Las Noches!"

"Apacci," he said with a sigh. "Please respect my plans. I know what I am doing better than you think. There is not a single thing I have miscalculated."

The girl, Apacci, fell silent. Now she and Loly shared the same expression.

"You are all dismissed," said Aizen.

Mostly everyone vanished at once. A few lingered – Starrk and one of the Numerós, Ichimaru, and Ulquiorra. After a sigh, Starrk and the Numerós walked off. Ulquiorra walked slowly toward me and Aizen, his green eyes indifferent.

"Ah, Ulquiorra," said Aizen. "Ichimaru spoke with you before, yes?"

"Hai," said Ulquiorra in a monotone.

"Good. So you know where her quarters are? And her needs?"

"Hai," he repeated.

"Very well, then. I'll leave her in your hands - "

"You're leaving?" I asked, feeling somewhat nervous at being left alone with the Cuatra Espada.

"Don't worry. Ulquiorra is very trustworthy. I will summon you tomorrow." Aizen gave me a final smile, turned, and vanished on the spot.

"Oi, Keita," said Ichimaru, walking toward me with a grin. He was always grinning; it seemed sort of permanent. "If ya ever need someone ta talk ta, come ta me." He turned his head at Ulquiorra. "You can be kinda borin', no offense."

Ulquiorra just looked back at him colorlessly.

"Anyway, it's nice havin' another Shinigami on board," finished Ichimaru. He waved at me. "See ya later!"

When he disappeared, Ulquiorra spoke in his monotone voice. "Follow me. I will show you your room."

He turned and walked toward the door, not bothering to look behind him to see if I was really following. Once he walked through the heavy white door, he led me silently through a long hallway. He kept his hands tucked into the pockets of his white robes. As I looked around at the grand palace, my eyes began to hurt. Jeez, everything was white around here!

Ulquiorra turned and swept into a different corridor that actually had a door in sight. He led me to the end of the hallway where the door was and opened it. As I followed him inside, I looked around at the room. It was all white, with no decorations whatsoever. There was a large bed set against the wall and beside it was a bedside table. Against the other wall was a tall dresser.

I was surprised to see a window that showed the darkness of Hueco Mundo. I wouldn't be able to feel the cool and fresh outside air, but at least I could look at the – somewhat empty – landscape.

"Is this my room?" I asked.

"Of course not," he said tonelessly. "This is my room. Your room is connected to mine, in case you are in an emergency or I need to wake you." He walked to the corner behind the dresser and opened a door I hadn't noticed before. There was a short hallway, decorated only by another window, and an archway that led to my quarters.

"Here," he said, gesturing to the contents of my new room.

It was much the same as Ulquiorra's, except with a pale rug in the center, a couch on top of it, and a much larger window that showed a breathtaking view of the moon.

"You have your own bathroom over there," he said, pointing briefly at a door by my bed.

"Okay," I murmured. I walked ahead of him to sit at the seat by the window. "This is…pretty nice." I looked back at Ulquiorra with a tiny smile. He did not return it. "I thought my quarters would be pretty crappy."

He stared at me. "Why?"

I sighed. "I just joined you guys. And I'm not exactly welcomed."

"That does not matter. You are something precious to Aizen-sama and you will therefore be treated rightly. Anyone who treats you with any amount of force will be punished."

I got the feeling he meant that. I also got the feeling he was hundreds of times stronger than me, and could probably kill me with a twitch of his finger. Yet he was going to protect me, protect me at all costs.

"As my fracción, you will do as I say," he told me. "When I ask you to do something, the only words that will leave your lips will be 'Hai, Ulquiorra'. If I order you to do something, you will not protest or argue with me. I have no patience for such nonsense. Do not question my motives. I do these things only for the sake of your safety, for that is Aizen-sama's wish.

"You will accompany me at all times, unless instructed otherwise by myself or Aizen-sama. You will always be a step or two behind me, not beside me. We are not comrades, or partners, or friends. You are my subordinate. Also, as a precaution," he went on, pointing at the sword at my belt, "carry your zanpakutou around with you always. If I am not around to protect you from harm, that katana may help you survive for a little more than five seconds."

He said this all coldly, with hardly any emotion at all.

I frowned. "Why carry it with me? I'd be dead for sure if any of you guys had something against me. I can't fight at all - "

"Did I not make it clear to you before, On'na?" Ulquiorra interrupted. "You are not to question me."

I stared at him for several seconds, rebellion boiling within me. This rebellious side definitely hadn't been present when I was with Aizen. Clearly, he intimidated me more than Ulquiorra did. I felt something about the Cuatra Espada – something under his callous exterior. Somewhere in there was life. I was sure of it, though I wasn't sure what made me so sure.

Finally, I spoke. "Hai, Ulquiorra-sama."

He studied me for a few heartbeats, then turned around. "There is no need to call me 'Ulquiorra-sama'. Just Ulquiorra will do. Only Aizen-sama deserves a title like that." He looked briefly over his shoulder. "There are clothes in your dresser. Change, wash, do whatever you like. If I call to you in the night, come. That is all."

Ulquiorra walked through the arch through his door, and closed it behind him. I turned back to the window, and the beautiful scene outside. Even though this was the place of evil spirits, it certainly didn't feel like it. It felt homey and comforting. Even the barren landscape outside was less forbidding when I was inside my nice room in this amazing white palace… And the moon was huge and beautiful and cast the only light in Hueco Mundo.

I sighed. This place was nice and I liked it but I was missing something essential. I knew exactly what it was and it was the only thing I'd be lacking here in Las Noches.

I needed a friend.

* * *

Give me some feedback, ne? I'll update much quicker if I feel like I'm getting positive results.

~Feign


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